UPSC Key—14th November, 2023: Armed Forces Tribunal, Birsa Munda’s Ulgulan and Ben Gurion Canal Project

2020 Amshipora ‘encounter’: Tribunal suspends Captain’s life term, grants bail

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has suspended the life term awarded to an Army Captain who was found guilty of killing three men in a “staged” encounter in South Kashmir’s Amshipora village in July 2020.

• What happened in Kashmir’s Amshipora village in July 2020?

• What Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) said?

• For Your Information-On July 18, 2020, three labourers from Jammu’s Rajouri district — Imtiyaz Ahmed (20), Abrar Ahmed (25) and Mohammed Ibrar (16) — were killed and labelled as “terrorists” by troops under the officer’s command in Shopian district.
The J&K Police set up a Special Investigation Team, which filed a chargesheet against three persons, including Singh, for “staging” the encounter.
The Army constituted a Court of Inquiry (COI) which found prima facie evidence that the troops had “exceeded” powers vested under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). The Court of Inquiry was followed by the summary of evidence, which was completed in the last week of December 2020.
Following court martial proceedings, an Army court, in March this year, found Singh guilty on six charges including murder and recommended life imprisonment, subject to confirmation by higher Army authorities.
Appealing against the decision, Singh had said he was only complying with the orders of his Commanding Officer, who was part of the operation.
In a 27-page order, the two-member tribunal headed by Justice Rajendra Menon said that prima facie, the findings recorded in the trial seemed to be “perverse” and “improper”. It said the General Court Martial (GCM) had failed to consider various statements of witnesses, and relied only on certain evidence inadmissible in law.
“In our considered view, the evidence relied upon by the prosecution and accepted by the SGCM (Summary General Court Martial) in the present case is not convincing enough to hold the applicant guilty of the charges levelled against him. Prima facie, based on the material available on record we are convinced that likelihood of the applicant being acquitted after hearing of this appeal cannot be ruled out,” it said.
Saying that Singh had already been in custody for about three years, the tribunal said it was a “fit case where, prima facie, evidence available on record suggests that bail can be granted… by suspending the sentence,” adding that “…during the period the applicant is on bail, the sentence of imprisonment for life shall remain suspended”.
The tribunal said the totality of the evidence available on record clearly showed that there cannot be any motive for Singh to kill the three civilians and conduct such an operation without the knowledge of his senior officer.
It said after analysing the entire evidence, it had found enough material on record which pointed to “defects” and “perversity” in the findings recorded by the GCM, and selective picking of evidence for holding Singh guilty.
It said Singh’s statement was recorded during the Court of Inquiry (CoI) by the Board of Officers when he was in close arrest, and this was in violation of the Indian Evidence Act.

• What is the Process of Court Martial?

• What is Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT)?

• What is the purpose of the Armed Forces Tribunal?

• What is the importance of Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT)?

• What is the difference between military tribunal and military court?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Story of the 2020 Amshipora fake encounter, in which Army has started court martial proceedings against Captain

Talks on in Armed Forces on possible entry of transgenders, study group formed

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Social empowerment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-The Indian Armed Forces are looking at possible employment opportunities for transgender persons and the roles they could perform, while examining the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and its implications, The Indian Express has learnt.

• “Indian Armed Forces are looking at possible employment opportunities for transgender persons”-Analyse

• Employment rates of transgenders in India-Know the Data

• Do You Know-According to the 2011 census in India, the transgender community accounts for a total of 4.88 lakh individuals. However, only a limited number of individuals are able to secure employment prospects. Based on a study done in 2018 by the National Human Rights Commission, it was found that a significant majority (96%) of transgender individuals face employment discrimination, resulting in their limited access to decent career opportunities. Consequently, many are compelled to engage in low-wage occupations or resort to undignified means of livelihood, such as sex work and begging. The first-ever study on the rights of transgenders also unveiled that around 92% of transgender individuals experience a lack of access to engage in economic activities within the nation, with even qualified individuals being denied employment opportunities. Within the sample population, over 89% of individuals who identify as transgender expressed the belief that there is a lack of employment opportunities available to individuals possessing the necessary qualifications. According to the survey, a significant proportion, ranging from 50 to 60 percent, of individuals did not receive formal education, while those who did attend schools saw substantial levels of prejudice.
According to the NHRC, 52 per cent transgenders were harassed by their classmates, while 15 percent encountered harassment from their lecturers, resulting in the discontinuation of their educational pursuits. During that time, the employment rate of transgender individuals in private sectors or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was merely 6 percent. Additionally, it was observed that only 1 percent of transgender individuals had a monthly salary exceeding Rs. 25,000, while the rest, specifically 26.35 percent, earned between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000. The survey additionally disclosed that approximately 23 percent of transgender individuals are coerced into participating in sex work, a profession associated with significant health hazards. Consequently, transgender individuals face a 49-fold higher likelihood of HIV infection compared to the general population.

• The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019-Know the provisions

• Do You Know-The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, was brought in January 2020 to protect the rights of transgender people and prevent their marginalisation and discrimination in healthcare, education, employment, public services and benefits, among others. The Armed Forces, at present, don’t recruit transgenders or people identifying as homosexuals.

• What are the arguments for and against the inclusion of transgender people in the armed forces?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The 360° UPSC Debate | Inclusion of Transgenders in the Armed Forces?

GOVT & POLITICS

PM to launch Rs 24,000-cr scheme for vulnerable tribal groups tomorrow

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues.

• General Studies I: Social empowerment

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a Rs 24,000-crore scheme aimed at holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) on the occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ on November 15 in Jharkhand. The scheme will focus on the delivery of 11 interventions under nine ministries for 75 PVTGs.

• Why Janjatiya Gaurav Divas is celebrated?

• Who was Birsa Munda?

• Birsa Munda’s Ulgulan-Know in detail

• Why Munda Rebellion is significant?

• For Your Information-Birsa Munda was a young freedom fighter and a tribal leader, whose spirit of activism in the late nineteenth century, is remembered to be a strong mark of protest against British rule in India. Born and raised in the tribal belt around Bihar and Jharkhand, Birsa Munda’s achievements are known to be even more remarkable by virtue of the fact that he came to acquire them before he was 25. In recognition of his impact on the nationals movement, the state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.
Born on November 15, 1875, Birsa spent much of his childhood moving from one village to another with his parents. He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area. He received his early education at Salga under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal Nag. On the recommendation of Jaipal Nag, Birsa converted to Christianity in order to join the German Mission school. He, however, opted out of the school after a few years.
The impact of Christianity was felt in the way he came to relate to religion later. Having gained awareness of the British colonial ruler and the efforts of the missionaries to convert tribals to Christianity, Birsa started the faith of ‘Birsait’. Soon members of the Munda and Oraon community started joining the Birsait sect and it turned into a challenge to British conversion activities.
During the period, 1886 to 1890, Birsa Munda spent a large amount of time in Chaibasa which was close to the centre of the Sardars agitation. The activities of the Sardars had a strong impact on the mind of the young Birsa, who soon became a part of the anti-missionary and anti-government program. By the time he left Chaibasa in 1890, Birsa was strongly entrenched in the movement against the British oppression of the tribal communities.
On March 3, 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur. He died in Ranchi jail on June 9, 1900 at a young age of 25. Though he lived a short span of life and the fact that the movement died out soon after his death, Birsa Munda is known to have mobilised the tribal community against the British and had also forced the colonial officials to introduce laws protecting the land rights of the tribals. Birsa’s achievements as a young tribal revolutionary has continued to be celebrated over decades now and he has successfully carved out a space for himself in popular and folk literature, academia, and mass media.

• Who were the other tribal freedom fighters?

• Rs 24,000-crore scheme aimed at holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)-Know the key features of this scheme

• What are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

• For Your Information-PVTGs, earlier known as primitive tribal groups, are a sub-classification of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) or a section of STs who are considered more vulnerable than regular STs. The PVTG list was created by the government with the aim to improve on priority the living standards of endangered tribal groups.
The mission was first announced during the budget 2023-24 and is being launched ahead of the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Both the states have a significant tribal population, with the Census 2011 pegging the ST proportion in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh at 21.1% and 30.6% respectively.
The PVTGs are the more vulnerable groups among tribal communities and they usually have distinctive culture, live in geographical isolation, and are shy of contact with other communities.
The scheme is meant to saturate the scattered, remote and inaccessible habitations of the PVTGs with facilities such as roads, telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
In addition to the 11 interventions, saturation of other government schemes such as PMJAY health insurance scheme, the Sickle Cell Disease Elimination programme, TB Elimination programme, 100% childhood immunisation, PM Surakshit Matrutva to ensure free of cost antenatal care to all women, PM Matru Vandana Yojana for cash benefit to mothers, PM Poshan, and PM Jan Dhan Yojana.

• How many particularly vulnerable tribal groups are there?

• Who declares PVTG in India?

• Dhebar Commission and Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs)-Know in detail

• Highest number Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) are found in which state?

• Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)-Know in detail

• Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and Schedule Tribes-Compare and Contrast

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Baiga tribal group gets habitat rights in Chhattisgarh: What this means, significance

📍Budget 2023: What measures have been announced for tribal welfare

EXPLAINED

WHY PM RISHI SUNAK SACKED SUELLA BRAVERMAN, HOW EX-PM CAMERON MADE A COME BACK TO THE UK GOVT

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a wider cabinet reshuffle, sacked Secretary of State for Home Department Suella Braverman on Monday (November 13). The development came after the minister’s recent incendiary comments about the policing of pro-Palestinian protests in the UK.

• What did Suella Braverman say?

• Who is Suella Braverman?

• Who is David Cameron?

• Do You Know-Cameron is a former UK Prime Minister (between 2010 to 2016) and a senior Conservative party leader. Like many prominent UK politicians, he studied at the elite Eton College before graduating from Oxford University.
He was given the mandate to change and modernise the Conservative Party and was elected its leader in December 2005, following the party’s weak electoral performance. The party did bounce back, and in 2010 it formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats and came to power. Cameron became Prime Minister, making him the youngest UK PM in 198 years at the age of 43.
Under Cameron, the Conservatives won two general elections – in 2010 and 2015. But following the Brexit vote of 2016, he resigned from the post and was succeeded by Theresa May as PM.

• Why did Cameron pitch for a Brexit vote?

• What does Cameron’s return to politics signal?

• For Your Information-Brexit also triggered a chain of events that has since tossed the country from one economic and political crisis to another. Sunak is the fourth PM to be appointed since Cameron resigned.
But Cameron’s return is being seen as one of the last throws of the dice by Sunak to snatch a Tory victory from what seems like the jaws of almost certain defeat in the 2025 UK general elections. An analysis in The Guardian said bringing back Cameron could please more moderate sections of Sunak’s party — however, it could lead to a loss of support from those on the far right.
A BBC analysis made the point that the “appointment allows the Prime Minister to argue he is bringing the Conservative family back together”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍David Cameron to be new UK Foreign Secretary: Who is the former PM, what his return signals

Tracked while on bail: How GPS anklets work

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Earlier this month, a prisoner in Jammu and Kashmir was released on bail after he was tagged with a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device to monitor his movements. This is the first time in the country that a GPS tracker has been put to such use.

Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, who is accused of offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was let out of jail after a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jammu upheld the prosecution’s plea and ordered police to affix a GPS tracker anklet on his foot.

• What is a GPS tracker, and how does it work?

• Where is such a device available, and how much does it cost?

• Why has a GPS tracker been affixed on Bhat?

• Is it common to use a tracker on a person who is out on bail?

• What is the legal position on the use of this technology in this way?

• Do You Know-A GPS tracker is a small, wearable device like the GPS collars that have long been used to monitor the movements of animals. The device provides the exact location of the wearer at all times, and allows law enforcement and security agencies to monitor his/ her movement in real time.
The device is tamper-proof, and any attempt at tampering with it sets off an alarm. It can also not be removed by the wearer or any unauthorised person without damaging it.
The tracker can be put on the ankle or arm of a person. Thus, there are GPS anklets and GPS bracelets.
GPS devices are very common these days, and some people put them on pets. The movements of wild animals such as rogue elephants in Kerala or the cheetahs in Kuno are monitored using these devices. Many new automobiles are equipped with trackers to ensure they can be traced if stolen; owners can also have them installed separately.
The quality and prices of the devices vary. It is possible to buy one online for around Rs 1,000.
The prosecution wing of the J&K Police called for close monitoring of Bhat’s movements during the period of his bail, and pushed for his tracking by GPS as one of the bail conditions.
Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain, who also heads the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the intelligence wing of the J&K Police, said GPS trackers could “help curb narco-smuggling and terror activities”. Police would be able “to monitor whether the person who is out on bail is meeting an active terrorist, or someone to collect a narco assignment or terror funds, etc.”, Swain said.
GPS trackers are a precondition for bail in several countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Bhat’s case is the first time this technology has been used in India for this purpose. J&K Police have indicated they might do it in the future as well.
The use of the GPS anklet on Bhat was sanctioned by a court. Human rights activists have, however, pointed to the absence of specific legal provisions allowing this. Ravi Nair of the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre said it is also “important to ask whether the security establishment has developed any standards and ethics in electronic monitoring”.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍J&K Police first in country to use GPS anklet for UAPA accused out on bail

Once upon a time, a plan to join Red Sea with Mediterranean through Israel

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-It has been speculated that one of the reasons behind Israel’s desire to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip and completely control the Palestinian enclave is to give itself the chance to better explore a dramatic economic opportunity that has been talked about for several decades, but for which peace and political stability in the region is an essential prerequisite. The idea is to cut a canal through the Israeli-controlled Negev Desert from the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba — the eastern arm of the Red Sea that juts into Israel’s southern tip and south-western Jordan — to the Eastern Mediterranean coast, thus creating an alternative to the Egyptian-controlled Suez Canal that starts from the western arm of the Red Sea and passes to the south-eastern Mediterranean through the northern Sinai peninsula.

• Map Work-Gulf of Aqaba, Negev Desert, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Suez Canal

• “Creating an alternative to the Egyptian-controlled Suez Canal that starts from the western arm of the Red Sea and passes to the south-eastern Mediterranean through the northern Sinai peninsula”-Elaborate

• What was the Ben Gurion Canal Project?

• Ben Gurion Canal Project-Know its key highlights

• Why is the Suez Canal important?

• What is the historical background behind Suez Canal?

• What is Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE)?

• The canal, however, has its issues-What were they?

• Do You Know-When it opened in 1869, the Suez Canal revolutionised global maritime trade. By connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas through the Isthmus of Suez, it ensured that ships travelling between Europe and Asia would not have to travel all the way around the continent of Africa. The canal cut the distance between London and Bombay (now Mumbai) by a more than 41 per cent.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, around 26,000 vessels crossed the Suez Canal, accounting for approximately 13 per cent of global shipping.
First, the 193 km-long, 205 m-wide, and 24 m-deep Suez Canal is the world’s biggest shipping bottleneck. Despite being widened and deepened over the years, it remains perennially congested, with long queues at either end. In March 2021, the mammoth cargo ship Ever Given got stuck in the canal, blocking passage for more than a week. It was estimated that the resulting “traffic jam” held up an estimated $ 9.6 billion of goods every day.
Also, Egypt’s control over the waterway has been a source of conflict for almost 70 years now. In 1956, after President Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-70) decided to nationalise the canal, war broke out, with the UK, France, and Israel attacking Egypt in order to regain control.
The Suez Crisis ended in a military victory for the aggressors but an overwhelming political victory for Egypt, which kept control over the canal, which was shut for more than six months due to the conflict. This was also a pivotal moment in the Cold War, with Soviet threats of intervention key to stopping the allied aggression against Egypt.
The Suez Canal was also the focal point of both the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars, and was shut from 1967-75.
The canal is, of course, critical to Egypt’s economy. It collects all the toll revenue generated, in addition to the benefits it brings to its local economy. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority saw toll revenues reach a record $ 9.4 billion — accounting for nearly 2 per cent of Egypt’s GDP of $ 476.8 billion, according to the World Bank.

• What has stopped Israel from constructing the canal?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: Suez Canal’s bumpy history, and impact on global trade

ECONOMY

Active equity funds: What led to higher inflows in July-Sept quarter?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Active equity funds are the flavour of the season for mutual fund investors. According to a recent study by Motilal Oswal AMC, during the July-September quarter (Q2), active equity funds witnessed net inflows of about Rs 74,000 crore with fund managers getting higher returns for investors through dynamic and active investing style. On the other hand, passive equity funds saw Rs 9,000 crore of inflows and arbitrage funds got Rs 29,000 crore.

• What are active funds?

• How were the flows in the active equity fund in Q2?

• What are passive funds?

• How about flows into passive equity funds?

• What should investors do?

• For Your Information-In an active fund, the fund manager is ‘Active’ in deciding whether to buy, hold, or sell the underlying securities and in stock selection. This fund relies on professional fund managers who manage investments. Active funds adopt different strategies and styles to create and manage the portfolio. They are expected to generate better returns (alpha) than the benchmark index. The risk and return in the fund will depend upon the strategy adopted, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) said.
Passive funds – index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) – hold a portfolio that replicates a stated index or benchmark. In a passive fund, the fund manager has a passive role in the stock selection. Buy, hold or sell decisions are driven by the benchmark index and the fund manager/dealer merely needs to replicate the same with minimal tracking error.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Sebi looking to introduce ‘MF Lite’ regulations for passive funds

Languishing share of GST revenue in GSDP

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development and Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination:

• General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein

• General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Even as state revenue receipts have returned to the pre-pandemic level, Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections of states as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) remain below pre-GST levels, as per a recent report ‘State of State Finances’ by PRS Legislative Research. With the GST compensation grants having ended in June 2022, there has been an adverse impact on some states, it said, adding that increasing the level of GST revenue may require rationalisation in tax slabs.

• What have understood by “Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections of states as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)”?

• “With the GST compensation grants having ended in June 2022, there has been an adverse impact on some states”-Explain

• A recent report ‘State of State Finances’ by PRS Legislative Research-What are the key findings?

• For Your Information-State GST (SGST) accounts for over 40% of states’ own tax revenue but SGST to GSDP ratio continues to be lower than pre-pandemic level. SGST revenue is also lower than the level of guaranteed revenue for five years.
In pre-GST period, revenues from taxes subsumed under GST was around 3% of GSDP for 27 states/UTs. In 2018-19, the first full year of GST, this ratio was 2.7%, and it has stayed below 3% in subsequent years.
Post-June 2022, states more reliant on GST compensation, such as Puducherry, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Uttarakhand, are likely to be the most affected. Pudu cherry, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have budgeted a revenue deficit in 2023-24 (FY24).
In FY24, 11 states have budgeted a revenue deficit–gap between revenue expenditure and receipts. Of these, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, and West Bengal did so after accounting for revenue deficit grants.
If revenue grants, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission, were not provided, six more states, including Assam, Nagaland, and Uttarakhand, would have been in revenue deficit in FY24.
Over the past several years, states have spent around 8-9% of their revenue receipts on subsidies, with a significant portion on power subsidy. Concerns have been raised over rising subsidies for non-merit goods in several states over potential constraints in availability of fiscal space for capital expenditure.

• First of all, what is Goods and Services Tax (GST) and How does it work?

• The Kelkar Task Force on the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003 and the Genesis of Goods and Services Tax (GST)

• Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 101st Amendment Act, 2016-Know in detail

• What are the different types of Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

• Know the differences between Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST), Union territory GST (UTGST) and Integrated GST (IGST)

• How would a particular transaction of goods and services be taxed simultaneously under Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST)?

• What are the benefits of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India?

• Goods and Services Tax (GST)-Issues and Challenges

• GST Council and Article 279A of the Constitution-Key Provisions

• GST Council and Members-Know in detail

• What is the role of GST Council?

• Which taxes at the Centre and State level are being subsumed into Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

• What are the major chronological events that have led to the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

• How Goods and Services Tax (GST) is administered in India?

• How a particular transaction of goods and services be taxed simultaneously under Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST)?

• What is the state-wise growth in GST revenue?

• What are the reasons for the surge in GST revenue?

• What does the pickup suggest for government finances?

• For Your Information-Central GST collections, after settlement of share from IGST, stood at Rs 4.87 lakh crore during April-October. This accounts for 60 per cent of the Budget target for CGST of Rs 8.12 lakh crore. A pickup in GST revenues would also imply a significant support for the government’s fiscal arithmetic, as it is likely to see a shortfall in the disinvestment receipts and as direct tax revenue growth remains a step behind. Experts said at the present growth rate of GST revenue, CGST collections are expected to slightly overshoot the budgetary target for FY24.
“GST collections recorded a meaningful sequential uptick…benefitting from quarter end adjustments related to transactions in the previous month as well as the overall momentum in the economy. With this, the pace of YoY growth jumped to a 10-month high in October 2023, which is encouraging. At present, we project the CGST collections to mildly exceed the FY2024 BE,” Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, Head, Research & Outreach, ICRA Ltd, said.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Why GST collections surged sharply in October

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